Admissions Criteria

Applicants admitted to USCSOM-Greenville are selected by an admissions committee composed of members of the biomedical science and clinical science faculties of the School of Medicine and the offices of diversity, academic services and research at Greenville Hospital System University Medical Center. In making selections from each year's group of applicants, members of the Admissions Committee recognize that they are selecting future physicians. The admissions procedure is therefore an effort to select applicants who possess the individual characteristics required for both the study and practice of medicine. The Admissions Committee is intent upon selecting not only the most academically qualified applicants but also those applicants with distinctive personal qualities and life experiences. Prior to extending an offer to interview, the Admissions Committee will evaluate previous academic performance to include undergraduate GPA and MCAT scores, letters of recommendation, clinical and research experience, work and volunteer experience, leadership roles, unique accomplishments, ability to overcome adversity, long term goals and extracurricular activities.

Following an initial review of the AMCAS application, a supplemental application (and a $95.00 processing fee) will be requested from applicants. The supplemental application is due on January 15, 2015. Students granted an AMCAS fee waiver are granted a waiver for the $95.00 processing fee. At least three, and no more than five, individual letters of recommendation or a pre-medical committee evaluation packet is required. Each application is screened for attainment of minimum academic achievement requirements on a rolling basis by staff members in the Office of Admissions. Complete applications are forwarded to a subset of the Admissions Committee for selection of applicants to be interviewed. The School interviews those applicants judged to be highly qualified who exemplify the high standards of the School of Medicine. The Committee determines competitiveness for admission based on aptitude and suitability for a career in medicine. In its effort to include diversity among its students, The University of South Carolina School of Medicine - Greenville is intent upon selecting not only the most academically qualified applicants but also those applicants with distinctive personal qualities and life experiences who will bring added value to the learning environment.

If you are a current applicant and wish to update your application, please follow this link and complete the form. This form is for applicants who have submitted an AMCAS and Supplemental Application to the University of South Carolina School of Medicine Greenville. We will accept updates at any time in the application cycle. Your update will be forwarded to the admissions committee and added to your application file. The only update we will not be able to accept is an MCAT score from 2015.

The applicant's credentials are considered from the perspective of the School of Medicine's Guiding Principles. The School strives for a medical student class that exhibits diversity commensurate with the population it serves. It seeks to enroll students with diverse backgrounds who have achieved academic excellence and who exhibit exceptional interpersonal and communication skills, integrity, honesty, empathy, a propensity for team work, maturity, emotional stability, leadership, a strong work ethic, self direction, and passion for becoming a doctor.

The Medical College Admissions Test (MCAT)

All applicants to the School of Medicine are required to take the Medical College Admissions Test (MCAT). The MCAT must be taken no more than three years prior to the time of application and no later than the end of September of the year of application. For the current admissions cycle, the MCAT deadline is December 2014. We will accept MCAT scores from 2012, 2013 and 2014. The MCAT is offered on multiple dates during the year and is administered at sites throughout the country. Registration materials can be accessed here.

Technical Standards for ADMISSION, RETENTION AND GRADUATION

All candidates for admission to, and all current students at the School of Medicine Greenville should possess sufficient intellectual capacity, physical ability, emotional and psychological stability, interpersonal sensitivity, and communication skills to acquire the scientific knowledge, interpersonal and technical competencies, professional attitudes, and clinical abilities required for the practice of medicine. Follow this link for a description of the technical standards necessary to meet the requirements of the M.D. curriculum and to graduate as skilled and effective medical practitioners.

International Applicants

USCSOM Greenville will consider International Applicants who meet the criteria listed on this linked page. Prospective International Applicants are encouraged to review this information.

Preparation

The following minimum course requirements for admission have been adopted by the Admissions Committee. These requirements have been designed to provide flexibility for the Admissions Committee in evaluating the varied backgrounds of qualified applicants.

Required course work includes two semesters each of:

Biology, with laboratory

General inorganic chemistry, with laboratory

Organic chemistry, with laboratory

Physics, with laboratory

English composition/literature

Additional coursework in biochemistry, cell biology and conversational Spanish is recommended, but not required, for admission.

Preference is given to applicants who will, upon enrollment, hold a bachelor's or higher degree. Applicants may be admitted on the basis of at least 90 semester hours of outstanding undergraduate achievement.

For most applicants, a strong preparation in the natural sciences is the best basis for the study and understanding of the medical sciences. For this reason, the Admissions Committee recommends that applicants complete more than the minimum requirements in the natural sciences. However, the Committee welcomes applicants with preparation in the humanities and liberal arts who have completed the minimum course requirements.

Upcoming Changes in the MCAT Exam
The MCAT exam will change in 2015 with the goal of preserving what works about the current exam, eliminating what isn’t working, and further enriching the MCAT exam by giving attention to the concepts tomorrow’s doctors will need. More information about MCAT 2015 is available at this link.

Many undergraduate institutions will alter courses to better prepare students for MCAT2015, and premedical advisers may recommend different coursework for students seeking to enter medical school in 2016 and beyond. Consistent with these changes, the School of Medicine Greenville is contemplating changes in required and recommended coursework for applicants in 2016. Although not yet finalized, here are the anticipated changes in course requirements for admission in 2016.

Required:

Two semesters of biology with lab

Two semesters of general (inorganic) chemistry with lab

One semester of organic chemistry with lab

One semester of physics with lab

Three semesters of humanities, social and behavioral sciences to include at least one semester of English composition/literature.